Let me say first that I have miles of respect for Bruce Springsteen. I appreciate what he did with "Darkness", "Nebraska", and even "Tunnel of Love". His latest stuff is also very interesting and shows an admirable willingness to experiment, unlike more or less everyone else in his age group/genre. Moreover, he's a highly professional and exuberant live entertainer, the subject of effusive accolades from some of my favorite musicians, and apparently a really nice guy to boot.

The problem is that I don't actually like much of his music. I loved "Born to Run" as a 10-year-old, but I now think that's about the level of sophistication that entire album (and swaths of his career) shows. Those ridiculous progressions, those sophomoric lyrics, those overwrought emotional cliches -- it's the opposite of subtle.

But I fully recognize this is just a personal reaction to the guy. I can't help feeling this way and believe me, I've tried to get over it.

And surely there's hope: I consider "Atlantic City" one of the finest songs of the his career and maybe the best song to come out of New Jersey, ever. It's especially poignant this week.

Igor wrote:I read an interview years ago where one of his kids was complaining because they would have friends over, and he would walk through the room either naked or in his underwear. Seems like he either cultivated a vaguely jerk/attention seeking persona that spilled over nto private life, or maybe he was just an actual jerk/attention seeker.

Igor wrote:I read an interview years ago where one of his kids was complaining because they would have friends over, and he would walk through the room either naked or in his underwear. Seems like he either cultivated a vaguely jerk/attention seeking persona that spilled over nto private life, or maybe he was just an actual jerk/attention seeker.

I remember that one very well, but I couldn't find it in a google image search. Back in 1973, when I first met the woman who would become my wife, she and her housemates posted it on the inside of their bathroom door.

I remember that one very well, but I couldn't find it in a google image search. Back in 1973, when I first met the woman who would become my wife, she and her housemates posted it on the inside of their bathroom door.

I used to have that on a light switch plate in my bathroom. I honestly have no idea what happened to that thing. My memory's not as good as it used to be. Must be all the uh... cigarettes and coffee...

I remember that one very well, but I couldn't find it in a google image search. Back in 1973, when I first met the woman who would become my wife, she and her housemates posted it on the inside of their bathroom door.

That brings back a somewhat bittersweet memory. When I first met the future Mrs Scratch in 1971 she had a Ted Nugent poster on the wall of her dorm room. It showed the TedBoy reclining with his long, full locks framing his face kind of Farrah Fawcett style.

I remember that one very well, but I couldn't find it in a google image search. Back in 1973, when I first met the woman who would become my wife, she and her housemates posted it on the inside of their bathroom door.

That brings back a somewhat bittersweet memory. When I first met the future Mrs Scratch in 1971 she had a Ted Nugent poster on the wall of her dorm room. It showed the TedBoy reclining with his long, full locks framing his face kind of Farrah Fawcett style.

Hi there. This is gonna be about exercising your right to vote. And it is going to be about Frank Zappa -- maybe some stuff you didn't know about either subject but might, given the fast approaching Day of Destiny for our next four years, be of interest to you.

Adam Powell wrote:Regarding Frank Zappa By Gail ZappaHi there. This is gonna be about exercising your right to vote. And it is going to be about Frank Zappa -- maybe some stuff you didn't know about either subject but might, given the fast approaching Day of Destiny for our next four years, be of interest to you.http://tinyurl.com/bqzumoa